This ebook has been optimised for viewing on colour devices. Between the ages of 15 and 30 Beatrix Potter kept a secret diary written in code. When the code was cracked by Leslie Linder more than 20 years after her death, the diary revealed a remarkable picture of upper middle-class life in late Victorian Britain. This book provides an illuminating insight into the personality and inspiration of one of the world's best loved children's authors.
An insightful biography of the pioneering conservationist, illustrator, prolific author, and creator of Peter Rabbit and other legendary tales. Beatrix Potter was born curious, with an imagination and a love of natural science and animals that would serve her well. When her self-published and self-illustrated first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, was picked up by an enterprising publisher, Beatrix’s modest “bunny book” would become a phenomenon. After more than a century, Beatrix Potter endures as one of the most cherished children’s book authors in literary history. But what were the sources of inspiration that gave birth to her beloved anthropomorphic characters and enduring cautionary tales? Through extensive research, personal letters, and photographs, this concise and intimate biography reveals Beatrix’s privileged yet restrictive Victorian childhood; her volatile relationship with her mother; a tragic love affair with her editor; her sometimes debilitating depression and illnesses; her life and career beyond Peter Rabbit; and her liberation as a passionate, driven, trailblazing, and simply original creative spirit.
Published in time for the 150th anniversary of her birth, this story stars a young Beatrix Potter, creator of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and many other classic children’s books. Master of the historical fiction picture book, Hopkinson takes readers back to Victorian England and the home of budding young artist and animal lover Beatrix Potter. When Beatrix brings home her neighbor’s pet guinea pig so that she can practice painting it, well . . . it dies! Now what? Written in the form of a “picture letter,” this charming, hilarious, and mostly true tale is a wonderful introduction to a beloved author/illustrator. An author's note includes photographs and more information about Beatrix Potter's life and work. "A charming, delightful homage." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred
Many girls want to become scientists when they grow up, just like many boys do. But for these girls, the struggle to do what they love and to be treated with respect has been much harder because of the discrimination and bias in our society. In Women in Microbiology, we meet women who, despite these obstacles and against tough odds, have become scientific leaders and revered mentors. The women profiled in this collection range from historic figures like Alice Catherine Evans and Ruth Ella Moore to modern heroes like Michele Swanson and Katrina Forest. What binds all of these remarkable women are a passion for their work, a zest for life, a warm devotion to mentoring others—especially younger women—and a sense of justice and fairness that they are willing to fight tirelessly to obtain. Each story is unique, but each woman featured in Women in Microbiology has done so much to expand our knowledge of the natural world while also making it easier for the next generation of scientists to work collaboratively and in an atmosphere where people are judged by their intellect, imagination, skill, and commitment to service regardless of gender or race. Women in Microbiology is a wonderful collection of stories that will inspire everyone, but especially young women and men who are wondering how to find their way in the working world. Some of the names are familiar and some are lesser known, but all of the stories arouse a sense of excitement, driven by tales of new, important scientific insights, stories of overcoming adversity and breaking boundaries, and the inclusion of personal tips and advice from successful careers. These stories are proof that a person can live a balanced and passionate life in science that is rich and rewarding.
Beatrix Potter was a very private person, yet, luckily for us, she was a prolific letter writer. Through her own words to friends, working colleagues and children we can discover the observant, energetic, affectionate and humorous personality she kept hidden from her public. Her life covers a period of immense social change. The restricted existence of a dutiful Victorian daughter, the background against which she first wrote the story of Peter Rabbit, was very different from that of war-time England where she continued to pioneer countryside conservation until her death.
'My dear Noel, I don't know what to write to you so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits whose names were - Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter.' So begins Beatrix Potter's most celebrated letter, in which she tells for the first time the story that was destined to make her name famous all over the world, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. It was written to cheer up a sick little boy when he was ill, and is one of numerous surviving letters written by Beatrix Potter to entertain individual children. Sometimes her letters take the form of a supposed correspondence between different animal characters from the stories, each written in miniature with its own tiny envelope.
